Today in class we’re excited to welcome guest speaker Chance Solem-Pfeifer, a writer for the Portland Critics Association, Willamette Week and The Astorian, as well as producer and host of The Kick film criticism podcast, featured on the Now Playing Network
The discussion today will explore the importance and various facets of analyzing film, in addition to addressing common misconceptions about film criticism and highlighting its significance. The class will then delve into the different types of film criticism, including reviews, essays, and academic analysis. A key component of the lesson will focus on analyzing film reviews, using a case study with two contrasting reviews where students can compare and contrast these reviews to determine which is more persuasive and why.
Time allowing, we’ll analyze and discuss a specific film clip followed by a brief exercise where students can write their own film reviews, concluding with a discussion on the challenges and rewards of film criticism.